For clients who live abroad, the power of attorney is often the most important document in the whole matter. It lets a lawyer in Sofia register a company, open its bank account, buy or sell property or transfer company shares without the client travelling. But a Bulgarian notary, registry or bank will only act on it if it was signed and certified in the right way. A document that falls short means a second round of signing, couriers and weeks of delay.
Where to sign, and what makes it valid
| Where you sign | What makes it valid in Bulgaria | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian embassy or consulate | The consul’s certification is sufficient | Book an appointment; for property, the consul certifies signature and content together |
| Notary in a country party to the Hague Apostille Convention | An apostille from that country’s competent authority | Then a certified translation into Bulgarian |
| Notary in a country with a legal assistance treaty with Bulgaria | Often no apostille or legalisation, depending on the treaty | A certified translation is still needed |
| Notary in any other country | Legalisation by that country’s foreign ministry, then by the Bulgarian embassy | Allow extra time |
EU membership alone does not remove the apostille. The EU rules that exempt public documents from it cover certificates such as birth and marriage records, not notarised powers of attorney — so a power of attorney signed before a notary in Germany or Italy still needs an apostille unless a bilateral treaty provides otherwise.
The form depends on what the attorney will do
- Selling or mortgaging property: signature and content certified together. For a sale, the notary also needs your declarations on tax and social security debts, signed and certified in the same way — see selling your Bulgarian property from abroad.
- Transferring company shares: the transfer agreement itself needs signatures and content certified together, so a power of attorney for it should meet the same standard — see transferring shares in a Bulgarian company.
- Registering a company or changing its details: a notarised signature is usually enough; managers also give a notarised consent and specimen signature — see setting up a Bulgarian limited company.
- Banks: many accept a notarised, apostilled power of attorney only for specific acts, or insist on their own forms and on identifying the account holder personally. Check with the bank before you sign.
- Court cases and dealings with authorities: a written power of attorney in favour of your lawyer is normally enough, without a notary.
Writing it so that it works
Identify both people
Full names, dates of birth and passport numbers, plus Bulgarian personal or foreigner’s numbers if you have them.
Identify the object
The property by its cadastral identifier, the company by its name and UIC, the bank by name.
List each power
Sign the preliminary contract and the deed, receive the price into a named account, pay taxes and fees, request documents from authorities. Notaries read powers of attorney narrowly — what is not written is not granted.
Say if the attorney may act on both sides
A contract the attorney concludes with themselves, or for both parties, can be challenged unless you expressly allowed it.
Use two languages
A text in Bulgarian and your language side by side saves a translation of the main body. The notary’s certificate and the apostille are still translated.
Translation
Every foreign-language part — the text, the notary’s certificate and the apostille — needs a certified translation into Bulgarian, made under the rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We arrange it in Sofia once the original arrives. The reverse is also worth knowing: translations certified in Bulgaria are not always accepted abroad, so documents travelling the other way may need a translation made in the destination country.
Questions clients ask
Is a power of attorney from my local notary enough without an apostille?
Generally not. Unless your country has a treaty with Bulgaria that dispenses with it, the notarised document needs an apostille — or, outside the Hague Convention, legalisation — before a Bulgarian notary or registry will accept it.
Can one power of attorney cover everything?
It can, but it is often wiser to split it. Notaries prefer a power of attorney for a property sale that names that property, while banks often want their own wording. We usually prepare separate documents for the property, the company and the bank, and you sign them in one visit.
Can I revoke it?
Yes, at any time. Tell the attorney in writing and inform anyone who relies on the document — the notary, the bank, the buyer. For a notarised power of attorney, a notarised revocation is the safest evidence.
This guide is general information about Bulgarian law as it stood on the date of publication. It is not legal advice for your specific case.
